Casa della Creatività, now known as ZAP, was created through the restoration and adaptive reuse of the former Santa Maria Maggiore convent in central Florence, less than two hundred metres from the Cathedral. The complex, formed in the seventeenth century by combining buildings of medieval origin, was transformed into a space for art, contemporary culture and young creative talent.
Developed for the City of Florence across approximately 1,320 square metres, the project had two objectives: to recover the historic value of the property and to make it suitable for public activities, events, workshops and opportunities for people to meet. During construction, partitions added in the twentieth century were removed to restore the original spatial character of the rooms, and part of an eighteenth-century fresco cycle was brought back to light.
The principal transformations included glazing the portico and inserting a new steel-and-glass staircase beside the lift. The technical systems were not concealed but organised within a metal element deliberately left exposed. The controlled contrast between historic masonry, transparent glass and contemporary metal components makes the building’s different phases legible. Studio Lauria subsequently designed the furniture and visual communication, together with graphic designer Andrea Rauch, establishing a coherent identity for the new cultural venue.
The House of Creativity was also the first Florence campus of IED, the European Institute of Design, thanks to the commitment and work of Aldo Colonetti and Daniele Lauria.
Aware of the challenges of globalisation, we draw on Italian creativity to develop projects that respect and enhance local identities and cultures.
